H. P. Therkelsen expands fleet with 10 liquefied natural gas trucks

As a transport company, H. P. Therkelsen is aware of its responsibility to reduce consumption of fossil fuels. The company is actively participating in the conversion towards becoming more environmentally friendly and is undertaking efforts to reduce its CO2 emissions. One of the contributions to this issue is the purchase of 10 new IVECO S-WAY trucks running on liquefied natural gas as fuel. Since the beginning of the year, the vehicles have been on the roads and are being tested on various corridors to and from Europe.

 

"The reason we invested in LNG trucks is the simple fact that we want to do everything we can to contribute to a more sustainable world for future generations. At the moment, LNG trucks are the only alternative to diesel trucks as we cover long distances with our transports," says Group CEO Peter Therkelsen about the company's latest acquisition.

"An LNG truck emits around 22% less CO2 than a diesel truck. Even if it is not 100% sustainable, it is a big step in the right direction and currently the only alternative technology on our business area, where we deliver or also pick up our customers' goods every day throughout Europe to distribute the goods in Scandinavia ", he further explains.

"It is clear that the introduction of this new technology will take some getting used to and must be well prepared", emphasizes Peter Therkelsen. "For example, until the starting signal on January 1, the drivers who will drive the LNG trucks in the future have participated in training in correct and safe refueling. In most countries in Europe, the driver himself is responsible for refilling the truck with the natural gas, which has been cooled down to -161° C. This requires special care when refueling. In addition, there are not many LNG refueling stations throughout Europe yet. The driver must therefore pay particular attention to driving behavior and timely refueling, as the LNG truck ‘only’ has a range of around 1,600 km when fully refueled, whereas a diesel truck can cover 4,500 km. When planning the transports, it places quite different demands on the drivers and dispatchers than they are normally used to. So far, however, this has worked smoothly without any problems", Peter Therkelsen rejoices.

"HPT will continue to invest in sustainability where it makes sense and is financially viable for the company. In 2021, we will first observe the results and experiences that the 10 LNG trucks bring. This way we will be well prepared if we decide to renew our fleet even further in the future. All our decisions are based on what offers the best overall value for our customers, " concludes Peter Therkelsen.

A detailed interview with Mr Peter Therkelsen on the topic of sustainable logistics can be found here ›